


lost records

by bittersnake



Category: Die Gänsemagd | The Goose Girl
Genre: Epistolary, Gen, the author does not speak german and IT SHOWS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21843991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittersnake/pseuds/bittersnake
Summary: Discovered records from the Reign of the False Princess
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	lost records

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angie13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angie13/gifts).



_2 Ernte, 32nd Year of Queen Aldegunde_

I don't know why I'm here. One day, I was working in the kitchens-- I'm not the best cook but I learn fast and any mistakes that are not salvageable for the ladyships, I get to eat. It's not a bad life for an orphan with no connections or clan to call her own. I do my work, stay out of the fancy folks way, curl into my bed in the stables, and fall asleep to the sound of the livestock making their own sleepy serenade. It was simple life but it was mine.  
And yet, here I am following the younger ladyship to some brand new kingdom where she's to become the wife of some fancy prince, and thus one day queen. I have no idea why the queen decided that I was to be the one accompanying the princess to this kingdom. I don't know much about royal protocol but I'm fairly certain all the books say that a marriage between two kingdoms require a bit more...splendor than a merely the scullery maid and two old nags. Mind you, one of them _can_ talk but servant rumor says that's more of mistake on the side of the last wizard we had. He was supposed to created a potion for swiftness and instead created a potion for a swift tongue. The wizard...was quickly removed from his position. I don't recall if they ever replaced him or not. None of the servants liked him, he was always bothering the chambermaids and made the head cook right mad more than once.

Her ladyship, is calling for me. I best find out what she wants.

[ **Translation Notes:** Diary of Dagmar, more commonly referred to as the False Princess, during the reign of King Jannik in Vögelhafen. It seems that prior to the incident that she was a kitchen maid in Blutbach(sp?) ruled at that time by Aldegunde the Merciless. Interestingly, for a kitchen maid she seems to exhibit a greater than rudimentary handle of the written word implying some higher study. Knowing what we know of King Georg proclivities, there is a chance that this is one of his many side-offsprings. Alternatively, Aldegunde was know to retain multiple lovers so there is also that avenue. ]

_3 Ernte, 32nd Year of Queen Aldegunde_

Dear Diary,

I'm cold, exhausted, and miserable right now. I had no idea how many glasses could be packed into a trunk--I mean _valise_ , as she of many glasses refers to it. I made the princess some breakfast this morning from the supplies that were packed-- and managed to only _slightly_ burn the bottom on the porridge. Then I went to get us both water as well as some for Falada (the slow of foot but swift of tongue nag). Except her ladyship wanted it out of a particular goblet instead of the jug that I brought it in. She claimed she wanted it out of the "golden cup" except there are so so many golden cups that were packed on my lady's behalf; there's the golden cup encrusted in rubies; the gilded cup from some minor house courting favor (obviously failed, seeing how she's not heading off to married in to their house); the golden cup with bands of silver; the gold cup; the white gold cup; the off-white gold; and those are only the ones I managed to unpack today. Finally, her ladyship went off in a flounce to fetch water for herself. I decided to take this this time to tidy up a bit and check the map. I miss the kitchens. It was noisy and tiring but at least the orders made sense, instead of rummaging about for gold cups when a pitcher would do just as well.

[ **Translation Notes** : According to records, the princess mentioned is Queen Der Glanz, birth name Gethe. ]

Her Ladyship has decided that In Spite of Me Being Difficult About Acquiring Her Cup, She Will Be Mag-na-ni-mous(?) And Forgive My Insolence. I decided to roll over in response. I'm quite tired and we rode for a long while and my nag is not an Old Nag by any sense of the word, we did go at a rather brisk pace today. So much so that even Falada couldn't spare a breath to speak which is quite a feat seeing how _she always_ has something to say be it about the state of the roads (which are a bit rough in her opinion); the food ("lacking in taste and not nearly enough apples"); or even our sleeping situation--she misses her stable, which I understand for I miss my cozy nook in the stables as well. Hopefully, tomorrow the ladyship will be in better spirits. 

(From what I've heard, she's never been outside the kingdom till now. She's been locked up with her tutors or with her mum ever since the King passed away. So she's probably still a bit awkward about folks and such. I'm sure she'll mellow out in time.)

[ **Translation Notes** : There seems to be a lapse between these two sections but we are assuming that the following paragraph follows after the prior one in sequential order. **Note to self** : send for dating to verify.]

_9 Ernte, 32nd Year of Queen Aldegunde_

Dear Diary,

I apologize for my tardiness. We've been riding day and night for almost a week now. I don't know what caused it??? One day, she was causing a ruckus about her cup-- which I _still_ don't know which one she wants? Some days, it's the gold with rubies? Others, the gilded one with a pearly inside?-- the next it was as if she was possessed?? I'm not making much sense, am I?

Just past noon, we stopped for a quick break. I was watering the horses and refilling the waterskins when the princess called for some water. I said that I would only be a moment but I needed to treat the horses first-- the poor things were foaming at the mouth-- but her ladyship wasn't pleased at being placed at a lower importance than horses and stomped off to get some water for herself. And promptly, fell into the river. 

Forgive me diary, but I had such a laugh at that scene; her ladyship in her silk and pearls (yes, she insists on wearing pearls but at least we've worked down to the smaller ones now as opposed to the fancier pieces) and slippers sprawled about in the muck of the riverbed. I would have kept laughing except she was so still lying there, with her hand clutched tightly to her breast. I went over to help her ladyship but she brushed me off stating "We need to leave _now."_

It was such an odd utterance from her that even Falada looked concerned (or at least as concerned as a horse could look), but I did as I was told and saddled the horses and we went on our way.

We didn't take the main roads but went through the forests. It was as if she thought we were being chased by something.

I have to go, she's calling for me.

[ **Translation Notes** : If I recall correctly, _The Road of the Shining Queen: The Der Glanz Legacy_ , it seems that there journey from Blutbach to Vögelhafen went through one of the cursed forests. **Note to self** : get that reference back from Max.]

_19 Ernte, 32nd Year of Queen Adelgunde_

Dear Diary, 

I'm scared. Ever since the day at the river, her Ladyship has been acting strangely. Last night, she took one of my handkerchiefs and a needle and pricked my hand till it bled while she thought I was sleeping. I flinched slightly but I think it was too dark for her to tell. She was muttering something all the while "blood pulls back the darkness" or something? I couldn't quite tell. All I know that it was like a veil fell upon me as she chanted by the fire. 

The old servants always said that there were witches in the old King's bloodline but others always said it was merely rumors from folks with bitterness in their hearts.   
Now, I'm not so certain.

[ **Translation Notes** : This ends the existing records of the False Princess prior to her arrival in Vögelhafen. **Note to self:** I still think this is valid avenue of study regarding the dynastic shift at that time as well as the fracture of Vögelhafen during that time but I'll see what my adviser says.]


End file.
